Acusa Cómeme (con mucho de razón) de eurocéntricos a FACT mag

We would like to do a statement for the sake of dialogue and mutual understanding, as we feel that the documentary about the “Rise of Mexican Dance Culture” is not only inaccurate, but also disrespectful.

As much as we have been able to appreciate the focus of media outlets like FACT on issues and topics like diversity, cultural appropriation, inequality etc. when it comes to the US and Europe, just as much we are missing the same approach when it comes to places of the world not considered as “first world countries”.

This said, it feels healthy and consequent to propose that an analysis of local scenes shouldn’t be presented to the public as an objective documentation of “what is happening”, but as what they are – a subjective observation, made by somebody coming from abroad. Mexico is a complex country, not any less complex than US and Europe. Therefore it deserves that its diversity is taken into account. For instance the issue of discrimination or classism in Mexico can’t just be neglected if we talk about a (club) culture that suffers from these problems. It is highly problematic to define a culture via the eyes of a privileged few, and we would have assumed FACT to be conscious about that.

Mexico has had dance culture since centuries, a widespread soundsystem culture since the 50ies and an electronic music scene that started back in the 90ies. We have witnessed a continuous and steady development of electronic dance cultures since decades, and in all its variations from city to city, from popular high energy soundsystems, to the electronic sounds of Tijuana, Monterrey’s tribal, the ruidosón movement, the collectives in Mexico city as Ensamble, Traición, NAAFI and many many others.

Decades of shaping a certainly varied culture with many layers and levels.

We would have hoped you not to call this something “new”, just because you have put an eye on us. We would have loved to be talked about ourselves by ourselves, including our diversity as a society and not only being represented or interpreted by privileged white men or Europeans living in Mexico. It leads back, again, to the colonial European stance of shaping a reality with European eyes and European interpretation. It leads back, again, to the so called “discovery”. Non “Westerners”, such as us Mexicans, are reduced to a “cultural phenomena” and when it is about documenting our activities, it seems unavoidable from your side to give it a sentiment of anthropological analysis, which is neither inclusive nor curious. It is very difficult for us, with our best of wills for understanding your perspective, to not interpret this documentary as disrespectful and Eurocentric.

We hope you consider aspects like self – documentation, complexity and diversity in the future, when you want to talk about musical developments in places that you consider cultural peripheries.